Case for fire-alarm signaling mechanism and the like



*Marh s, 1928. 1,661,258

F. B. LOVE ET AL CASE FOR FIRE ALARM SIGNALING MECHANISM AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 17, 1925 W0 EQ- 5:21::- J| LL L INVENTORJ 592'41162'6 5 JOY: BY Zoyd 6127/7727 A TTORNE-Y Patented Mar. 6, 19 28 FRANCIS Bf ovn AND orn H. SMITH, or SHELB oiiro, ssreNorts r0 THE AurocALL COMPANY, or SHELBY, oniro, A CORPORATION; or OHIO.

oesn ron FIRE-ALARM, sreimtrnsMEonanrsM Ann THE LIKE.

Application filed lebruary. 1:7;- 1925. Serial No. 9,830.

This invention, as indicated, relates to a casing and aclosure co-operatrng therewith and adapted particularly to receive the siga naling mechanism ofa fire alarm system. i

In an apparatus of the character referred to it IS desirable to have ready accessito'the signal sending mechanism without detaching the same completely from the casing. 'In many types of fire alarm boxes the closure is completely removed and the mechanism. is

swung in suspended position from the lead wires. This practice not infrequently results in the placing of too great a strainupon said wires and causing disconnection of the conductors from their associated parts and rendering thedevice unsuitable for the use intended. f

The principal objectof the presentinvention is to obviate the disadvantages .referred to and to provide a casing and closure which will cooperate to support 'the' signaling mechanism in position where ready access to the same may be had for purposes of in-. spection and repair. Another object of the invention is to providea casing and closure which will securel y -house the mechanism protected thereby and which may be readily installed in structures of different character, beingparticularly adapted to be set into the wall of a building; A further object of thew I invention is to providea construction which will facilitate the installation ofthe electrical signaling apparatus after the casing has been'set into the wall of a building and the interior-"trim has been put in place.

- Other objects of the invention will appear in the course of"the.followingdescription.- To the accomplishment of the-foregoing and related ends, said invention, them-consists of the means hereinafter fully describedand' particularly pointed out in theclaim.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms inwhich the I r The closure plate is preferably provided *with a circumferential flange extending in-r wardly and may terminate in a beaded edge r tion; Fig. 2 is a topplan view of'the ap parat-us shown in Fig. 1, with the closure seated upon the casing; and Fig. 3 is'a' top lan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, with the closure and the housingfor the" fire alarm mechanism shownin full lines in poses of inspection or repair to lead wires, 7

etc.- p

As is'more particularly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, the apparatus comprises 'acasmg l of oval outline as viewed from the front and" provided on. its uipperz'sid'e with v an extension 2 apertured to receive a conduit "3 withinwhich the lead-iii wires (not shown) for the electrical signaling apparatus are enclosed! At one sideof said casing a pair of bosses4, 5, are provided'on the upper and lower inner wallsof said casing adjacent the forward edge thereof, said bosses having integral studs 6, 7, projectinginwardly therefrom. Said studs are provided with: hori; zontal apertures 8 within which cotter pins 9 may beinserted. Y

i Said casing is closed at its said casing by suitable locking means (not shown). Apart-j from said locking means sa d: closure is adapted to b'econnected with base and is 0 en at ltS' forward srdeand aclosure 11, pre ersaid casingby means of a pair of supporting of bracket arms 12, preferably formed of steel straps, apertured at their respective ends-,to enablethesame to be pivotall con-f nected with 'said casing and said c osure:

Theape'rturesat oneend of said arms are adapted to'be fittedjover the respective studs 6 and 7, abovereferred to, and the arms" are maintained in pivotal. relation" with said studs by means-of the cotter pins QEfThe' opposite ends-of said'arms 12 are adaptedto be secured, by means. of "pivot .pins 13' passing' thjrough said aperturesto -a pair of ears 14. provided upon the" inner. wall of said? closure 11 upon the side opposite the position of the studs 6, 7, carried by-said casing.

- from the closure plate readyzaccess may be offset lugs 1'7 having screw-threaded aper tures. A housing 18, of substantially oval form corresponding with the outline of the upstanding flange 16 heretofore referred to, is provided to enclose the mechanism of the signaling system forming a dust cover therefor, and is adapted to be secured to the up standing flange l6 heretofore referred to by means of a plurality of screws-19 engaged through a plurality of cars 21 formed on the margin of said housing 18 in alignment with the offset lugs 17 of said closure plate. Said housing may be formed with a flat top face 22 to permit the same to pass more readily within the space between the pair of supporting arms. 12 carrying the closure plate. 7 i Y The signaling mechanism may be attached to the inner face of the closure plate or to the housing secured thereto inany preferred manner and the details of such signal mechanism form no part of the present invention. The supporting arms 12, it will be noted,

provide a wide range of motion for the clo-- sure plate'which .maybe swung about the pair of pivots 13 aswell as with said arms 12 about the pivots provided by the studs 6 and 7. In this manner the housing 18 may be almost completelyreversed'from its position within thecasing and upon its removal had to the electrical signaling mechanism.

Through the spacing of the supporting arms. 12'upon opposite sides of the housing 18, the apparatus is adapted to be completely self-contained. There are no ex:

ternal'hinges to invite tampering with said apparatus by unauthorized persons and when the closure is locked against the open side of the casing by means of suitable lock screws (not shown), the apparatus is substatially protected against injury from without. I 1

While the invention has been described'in connectlon with a fire alarm signal box, 1t is obvious that the closure herein provided is adapted for uses'other than those herein particularly described. The same type of hinge may be used without change for a box wherein the closure is of the semi-flush as well as of the surface type. The parts may thus be standarized and the same hinge parts on the casing may be used to support a closure of either type of'construction. The con porting arms over the studs on said casing and placing the cotter pins through the apertures provided therein. The lead wires can then be connected to the terminals of the tire alarm mechanism and thc closurezseated upon the outer face of the casing and held there-' against by means of suitable lock screws.

Other modes of applying the principle of our invention may be employedjinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by the following" claim or the equivalentof such stated means .be employed. e

e therefore particularly point, out and distinctly claim as our invention In an article of the character described, the combination of a casing having a base and an outwardly extending-flange, a closure adapted to fit snugly against the edge of said;

, flange throughoutits entire'extent, a flange projecting inwardly from the inner face of said closure and spaced from said jcasing flange when said parts are engaged, a house ing engaged upon the inner edge of said clo sure flange, a pair ofparallel bracketarms positioned respectively on opposite sides of said housing and inspaced relation thereto, a pair of bosses, within the casing flange "and spaced from the edge-thereof, having pivoted pins to engage with" apertures formed in themner ends of said bracket arms, removable looking pms engaged through said pivot pins to detachably hold said bracket arms thereon anda pair of apertured ears on 'the inner wall ofsaid'closure on the side opposite'the position of the bosses on ,saidcasing to receivepivot pins extending through apertures inthe opposite ends of saidbracke'tarms, whereby a wide range of motion may .jbe' provided for said housingand closure. v y a Signed by us this 14 dayv of Feb, 1925.

' FRANCIS- B. Love; BOYD n. smrn. 

